Illustration of sandpiper
sandpiper
noun
sand·pip·er
ˈsan(d)-ˌpī-pər 
: any of various small shorebirds (family Scolopacidae, the sandpiper family) distinguished from the related plovers chiefly by the longer and soft-tipped bill
Examples of sandpiper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The disarmingly handsome comic adopted the delivery of a smarmy newsman and deadpanned a joke about the hatching of a baby sandpiper, a triumph for the zoo where it was born, until the bird was stomped to death by a baby hippo born a day earlier.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
Shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers use this sense to detect prey beneath the sand by sensing subtle mechanical vibrations.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Most members of the sandpiper family tend to be sociable.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
At Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, trails wind through salt marshes, shrublands, and forests teeming with migrating birds—from sandpipers and plovers to herons and owls—as well as the occasional New England cottontail rabbit.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
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Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
Shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers use this sense to detect prey beneath the sand by sensing subtle mechanical vibrations.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Most members of the sandpiper family tend to be sociable.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
At Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, trails wind through salt marshes, shrublands, and forests teeming with migrating birds—from sandpipers and plovers to herons and owls—as well as the occasional New England cottontail rabbit.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sandpiper
Cite this Entry
“Sandpiper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandpiper. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sandpiper
noun
sand·pip·er
-ˌpī-pər
: any of numerous small shorebirds with usually long bills and legs
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